Method and apparatus for making drinking straws



Dec. 13, 1966 H. E. DAVIS ET AL 3,291,609

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING DRINKING STRAWS Filed April 28, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.|

W 57 .64 4| dyaa aa J9 w 0 ya INVENTORS HARRY E. DAVIS FRED B. PFEIFFER ATTY.

Dec 13, 1966 H. E. DAVIS ET AL 3,291,699

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING DRINKING STRAWS Filed April 28, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Emmi! tiAg zFw D/ f A BY @Rm mmww ATTY.

United States Patent 3,291,009 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING DRINKING STRAWS Harry E. Davis, 510 E. Cuyahoga Falls Ave., and Fred B. Pfeifier, 270 Ferndale Ave., both of Akron, Ohio Filed Apr. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 363,178 15 Claims. (Cl. 23-80) The present invention pertains to a method and apparatus for making drinking tubes of the type generally known as straws and shall be so referred to in this application.

More particularly the invention relates to a continuous method and apparatus for making straws of a single strip of thin heat-scalable material such as, for example, but not limited to, cellophane, by spirally Winding the strip about an arbor, with the edges of the strip over-lapped to form a tube and revolving and advancing the tube, simultaneously with its formation, about and along the arbor into tube severing means where the tube is cut into predetermined lengths to form straws.

Heretofore drinking tubes or straws have been composed of spirally wound thin strips of cellophane (regenerated cellulose) but such straws and similar straws of the prior art have not been entirely satisfactory particularly due to lack of permanent adhesion of the material in the overlap and to inadequate structural features to permit desirable bending of the straw without collapsing the wall of the straw at the bend. Another unsatisfactory feature of the prior art straws formed of cellophane or the like is that of the cross-sectional area of the passageway through the straw is insufficient to permit such beverage ingredients as ice-cream mixes to be sucked through the straw because the wall of the straw would frequently collapse due to the vacuum created in the passageway between the users mouth and the ice-cream mix.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art straws enumerated above and for that purpose to provide improvements of the method and apparatus described in our copending application Ser, No. 279,189, filed May 9, 1963, now US. Patent No. 3,203,325, issued August 31, 1965.

In particular the present invention has as some of its objects to provide improved means, relative to said copending application and the prior art, for heating and delivering the strip material to the arbor; for winding the strip spirally about the arbor; for forming continuous spirally extending wrinkles the entire length of the tube body; and for rotating and advancing the tube on the arbor.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means adapted to progressively crowd the body of a tube being formed whereby the entire length of the body of a straw cut therefrom is gathered into open based wrinkles of substantial length and height extending spirally about the straw body at such angle, to the axis of the straw, as to permit sufiicient extension or contraction of the wall of the straw so that it may be bent 180 without collapse of the straw, thereby providing a straw that adapts itself for use by persons lying prone in bed to drink from a container of fluid.

A further object of the present invention is to provide mounting means for an arbor of such character as assures equal pressure of multiple belts on tube material being rotated and advanced on the arbor by said belts.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide high velocity severing means having a knife that travels in the direction of the travel of the tube being severed and means for regulating the time of cuts relative to the speed of travel of the tube along the arbor, whereby straws of various lengths may be severed from the tube.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the improved apparatus for conveniently practicing the method.

In the drawings- FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of apparatus embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged rear view of the cutter mechanism viewed from line 3-3 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a left end view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view with the mechanism shown in FIG. 6 removed and illustrates the relative positions of the apparatus arbor, forming belts and belt actuating means; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the apparatus for heating and delivery of a strip of film to an arbor on which a tube is to be formed.

Referring to the drawing in detail and to FIGS. 1, 2, 5 and 6 in particular it will be seen that the apparatus referred to generally as 16 comprise a frame-like support 11 including angle members 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 separated by slots 17, 18, 12 and 20 respectively. The angular members are bolted to end members as will be understood by reference to the drawing and frame 11 is supported on suitable legs as indicated but not shown in detail.

A supply roll 21 of smooth surfaced cellophane of proper width is mounted on a shaft 22 welded to an adjustable plate 23 mounted on threaded rods 24, 25 by nuts as shown. Rods 24, 25 extend through holes in an angle 26 which in turn is adjustably bolted to angle 27 by bolt 28. Angle 26 is in angular relation with frame 11. Angle 27 is supported on frame 11 by means of bolts 29 in slot 20. A driven rotatable heated drum 30 is mounted on a shaft 31 mounted in a bearing 32, which is brazed to plate 34. Plate 36 like plate 23 is mounted on the threaded rods 24, 25 also by nuts as shown. A stationary heater unit 35 (not shown in detail) is disposed in drum 36 and is mounted on the outer surface of a bearing 32. Pins 36, 37 are mounted on a plate 38 and pin 37 adapted to position the strip material relative to the heated driven drum 36. Plate 38 is supported on rods 24, 25 as are plates 23 and 34 mentioned above. Braking means in the form of a drag plate 39 is rotatably mounted on pin 36. The free end of plate 39 rests on roll 21 by means of gravity or if found desirable suitable resilient means may be employed to draw said free end into contact with roll 21. A drive pulley 42 is mounted on shaft 31 and functions to rotate the heated drum 3t). Pulley 42 is driven by a belt 43 which passes over idler pulleys 44, 45 justable V belt pulley 47 mounted on a main driven shaft 48.

Shaft 48 is driven by pulley 49 by belt 50 from speed reduction motor 51. Shaft 48 rotates in bearing 52 attached to angle 16 by threaded rods 5354. A driven sprocket 55 on shaft 48 (see FIG. 6) is engaged by sprocket chain 56 which chain also engages idler sprocket 57 mounted on a shaft 58 brazed to plate 59, the latter plate being adjustably mounted on rods 53, 54 and retained there by nuts as shown. Chain 56 also engages a sprocket 60 on shaft 61 and rotates in a bearing 62 bolted to angle 12. It is to be noted that shafts 48 and 61 rotate in opposite directions.

A pulley 63 on an end of shaft 48 and a similar pulley 64 on an end of shaft 61 drive endless flexible forming belts 65 and 66 respectively. Belt 66 travels under idler tension pulley 67 mounted on a shaft 9 which is brazed to a clamp collar 8 rotatably mounted on bearing 62. As shown belt 66 also passes over pulley 68 to and spirally around the cellophane film on an arbor and then over pulley 69. Pulleys 68, 69 are spaced and slidably mounted in slot 17 and function to control, by their spacing in slot 17, the pitch of the spiral travel of belt 66 around the arbor.

Belt 65, driven by pulley 63, travels over spaced pulleys 71 and 72 slidable and anchored by nuts in slot 20 as will be seen by reference to FIG. 5. Pulleys 71, 72 function to control the pitch of the spiral travel of belt 65 around the arbor in like manner as pulleys 68, 69 function to control belt 66. An idler tension pulley 73 for belt 65 is mounted on shaft 74 which is brazed to a clamp collar 75 rotatably mounted on hearing 52 (see FIG. 6). For reasons to be later explained it is to tbe noted that belts 65 and 66 exert their displacement force on arbor 70 in opposite directions, namely, one upwardly and the other downwardly and that their spiral pitch of travel, about the arbor, is different, that of belt 66 being approximately 45 and that of belt 66 being approximately 30 The pitch of each forming belt being subject to adjustment through pulleys 68, 69 or 71, 72, as the case may be, to get the desired action of those belts according to the material of which the tube is composed, the temperature, humidity etc. that may affect the functioning of the forming belts.

A support for arbor 70.referred to generally as 76 comprises a clamping block 77 rotatably mounted on a bolt 78 projecting from slot 17 and being anchored in the slot by suitable nuts. Arbor 70 is adjustable longitudinally of the arbor in block 77 and retained in selected position by means of a bolt. Block 77 is free to rotate about bolt 78 in response to the opposing forces exerted on the arbor by forming belts 65 and 66. While tension pulleys 73 and 67 provide means for setting the desirable initial tension of the forming belts 65, 66 it is to be noted that those tension pulleys remain in fixed position until manually moved to increase or lessen tension on the forming belts. The forming belts are necessarily light and flexible and subject to growth in length in service but the two belts do not have corresponding growths which presented a serious problem in obtaining satisfactory performance of the belts. Applicants found that by providing the arbor support 76 the arbor would automatically move to positions that compensated for said growth and assured the required equal tension of the belts.

Arbor 70 establishes the inside diameter of a tube being formed thereon by a strip of material from supply roll 21 being spirally wound thereabout. Prior art arbors used for progressively forming drinking straws are not completely satisfactory in that they do not permit free travel of the material of the straw along the arbors. Heretofore such antifriction materials as Teflon has been used for arbors or arbor coating but such materials are very expensive and are subject to rapid wear and loss of shape and dimension when under the influence of heat and the mechanical strain to which such arbors are subjected. Arbor 70 solved the problems of prior art arbors in its field by being composed of metal, or other rigid material, and being slightly tapered from the point where the strip material first contacts the arbor to its free end and by providing knurling 79 thereby substantially reducing the area of the arbor that comes into direct contact with the inside surface of a tube being formed on the arbor. Due to said knurling the areas of the arbor that do contact the inside surface of a tube being formed thereon are very small and separated, thereby preventing an uninterrupted large area of such contact to accrue. Also, and it is important in effecting free travel of said tube along the arbor, the knurling provides a large area of air between the tube and the arbor.

By reference to FIG. it will be seen that a pin 80 extends from frame 11 below arbor 70 and through the loop of belt 65 about the arbor. Pin 80 is attached to the frame in slot 18 by means of suitable nuts, not shown, and is off-set downwardly to the position shown. This pin functions to prevent creeping of belt 65 axially of the arbor if such tendency should develop.

FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 illustrate the apparatus for cutting the tube delivered from the arbor into lengths to form straws of predetermined length and comprise a mounting plate 81 on which is mounted angle 82, to which angle is attached a slotted bearing support 83. A shaft 85 rotates in a bearing 84 mounted on support 82. A knife holder 86 mounts a knife 87 which upon rotation of shaft 85 is brought into cutting contact with a fiber disk 98 which is free to rotate on shaft 99, the latter being adjustably, mounted in support 83 by means of suitable nuts, not shown.

A pulley 88 is driven by belt 89 which in turn is driven by an adjustable pulley 90. Pulley 90 has a flange 4 slidable on an inner hub, not shown, and backed by a spring 3. Tension means for belt 89 comprises an idler pulley 108 mounted on arm 109 rotatably about shaft 110 which is mounted in slot 18 of frame 11 by means of nuts not shown. The position of pulley 108 is controlled by means of a threaded shaft 112 in threaded relation with a swivel nut at 111 the nut not being shown in detail. Threaded shaft 112 is supported by a swivel bearing 113 disposed in slot 17 of frame 11 and retained thereby suitable nuts not shown and held longitudinally therein by collars 114, 115.

Knife 87 is rotated by means of a pin 107 threaded into a collar on shaft 85 as shown in FIG. 3. Pin 107 is connected by a rubber band 97 to a pin 94 on driven pulley 88 and projected axially therefrom. Applicants have found the rubber band more effective than other types of elastic members but it is to be understood that other types of elastic to connect pins 107 and 97 are contemplated by the present invention.

It is to be noted that band 97 provides the turning torque on shaft 85 and it is to be further noted that pulley 88 rotates freely on shaft 85 except for the said rubber band. Means for stopping the rotation of shaft 85 for a period during each revolution of driven pulley 88 comprise a dog 100 rotatably mounted on a shaft 102. The dog is limited in its rotation by a pin 103 extending from a collar 104 held in contact with a stop pin 93 projecting axially of and from pulley 88. A spring 121 attached to the dog and support member 83 promotes contact of the dog with pin 107.

As pin 107 revolves with shaft 85 it comes into engagement with dog 100 and the rotation of shaft 85 is thereby stopped and band 97 is progressively stretched until a trip pin 96 which projects axially of and from pulley 88 disengages the dog from pin 107, thus allowing stretched band 97 to rotate shaft 85 suddenly and at very high velocity. During the contraction of the rubber band 97 pulley 88 continues its rotation which, at least to some extent, tends to prolong high tension in the rubber hand during the bands contraction cycle, thereby the velocity the band imparts to the rotation of shaft 85, which actuates the knife 87 through the medium of knife holder 86, is increased.

By references to FIG. 1 it will be seen that a trough 6 is provided for a path of travel for the tube from the arbor to the severing station comprising the disk 98 and a second trough 7 through which straws cut from said tube pass.

In the event tension member 97 should break during the operation of the apparatus 10 a safety pin (see FIGS. 3-4) will so position pin 107 that trip pin 96 will trip dog and thereby prevent accidental breakage that otherwise would occur.

OPERATION Preparatory to starting apparatus 10 in operation an operator manually leads the strip of film from the supply roll 21 over the heater drum to arbor 70 in the path illustrated. He then places the leading end of the strip on the arbor in contact with belt 66. Next the assembly of apparatus referred to generally as 30 is rotated about bolt 27 to a position that will feed the strip of film from the supply to the arbor at such angle thereto as will provide the desired spiral winding of the strip about the arbor. The supply roll is disposed on its shaft 22 so as to cause the leading edge of the strip of film coming into contact with belt 66 to gather in such manner as to form continuous pronounced wrinkles 2 (see FIG. 5) which extend the entire length and width of the strip of which the tube is formed. Assembly 30 is retained in its selected position by the nut on bolt 27.

The desired speed of delivery of the strip to the arbor is controlled by adjustment of pulley 47.

The rate of travel of the tube longitudinally of the arbor and the rate of rotation of pulley 88 which pulley controls the periodic tube severing operation is established by adjustment of pulley 90, such adjustment being made by means of hand wheel 116 on rod 112 by which belt 89 may be tightened or loosened which changes the pitch diameter of pulley 90. By control of the pitch of the pulley 90 the length of straws being cut from the tube is controlld and may be changed without stopping the operation of the apparatus. This is an important feature of the present invention due to the nature of the construction of spirally wound straws makes control of length of the straws difficult.

When an operator has made such adjustments as indicated above motor 51 is started and the results observed. Since said adjustments are initially by way of test further adjustments usually must be made and the present apparatus provides convenient means for the various required adjustments For example, the apparatus 30 may be rotated to modify the angularity of the travel of the strip from the supply roll relative to the axis of the arbor as can its speed of travel relative to the speed of rotation of belts 66 and 65. Also the rate of rotation of belts 66 and 65 about the arbor may be slightly modified by changing the angularity of the spiral course of these belts about the arbor. Such modification is effected by adjustment of idler pulleys 68, 69 and 71, 72 anchored in slots 17 and 20 respectively of frame 11. When by said test adjustments satisfactory straws are being produced the apparatus is adapted to continue in uninterrupted operation. However, as is well known to those familiar with mechanically manipulating thin films, such operation is very sensitive to such changes as temperature, humidity, variation in the quality and thickness of the film etc., all of which presents serious problems in satisfactory operation of such apparatus. The present invention provides means to meet such contingencies, thus the speed of travel of each driving belt may be conveniently controlled to synchronize the individual operation of each element of the apparatus.

The operator adjusts the apparatus so that the strip of film is delivered to the arbor at such speed of travel as to develop a tube having a slighter greater inside circumference than the outside circumference of the arbor in order to permit the wrinkle 2 to develop.

The strip from the supply roll is delivered to the arbor at such angle, according to the width of the strip, to provide an over-lap desired and thereby determine the number of layers of film in the tube body.

As the strip of film comes under the influence of belt 66 it is advanced spirally and longitudinally along the arbor to and under belt 65 and it is noted that belt 65 is at a lesser angular pitch about the arbor than belt 66. This results in a lower rate of travel of the tube from belt 65 to the end of the arbor than occurs between the belts 66 and 65. Consequently the tube body is forcibly crowded and gathered into additional wrinkles extending approximately circumferentially of the tube. As indicated above, the amount of crowding is controlled by the difference in the angularity of the spiral travel of belts 66 and 65 about the arbor.

Belt 65 propels the tube through trough 6 to the cutting station where it passes under the fiber disk 98 and over rotatable knife 87 a predetermined length of tube. The speed of travel of the tube effected by belt 65 is synchronized with the rotation of the knife through adjustment of pulley 47. The severing of the tube is accomplished by dog 100 engaging pin 107 interrupting its rotation and the rotation of the knife while pulley 88 continues to revolve placing elastic member 97 under tension. Trip pin 96 which extends from pulley 88 trips dog 100 from pin 107 which pin then rotates shaft and knife holder 86 and knife 87 at high velocity bringing the knife into severing contact with the tube and fiber disk 98. It is to be noted that the travel of the knife at high speed is in the direction of the travel of the tube and propels the straw through trough 7, thereby minimizing the tendency to restrict tube body rotation.

The apparatus provides means for severing the tube at various lengths according to the length of straws desired. Such adjustment may be made by increasing or decreasing the effective length of belt 89 around pulley 47 and 88 by rotating hand wheel 116.

From the foregoing it will be evident that drinking straws of various lengths can easily and quickly be made without interrupting the continuous operation of the apparatus.

The invention is susceptible to numerous modifications and the right is herein reserved to make such changes as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A method of making drinking straws of the character described composed of thin heat-scalable material comprising the steps of:

(a) continuously feeding a strip of said material to an elongated arbor and spirally loosely winding the strip thereon,

(b) heating the strip prior to its contact with the arbor and delivering the strip to the arbor while at heatsealing temperature,

(c) forming a continuous permanent wrinkle in said strip at an edge thereof just prior to the strips contact with the arbor,

(d) feeding the strip onto and about the arbor at such angle relative thereto as to provide an overlap at the edges of the strip such as to form a tube of multi-layers on the arbor,

(e) simultaneously rotating and twisting the tube around its longitudinal axis while advancing the tube lengthwise of the arbor,

(f) wrinkling the tube by subjecting it to radially inward pressure,

(g) gathering the wall of the tube into wrinkles of substantial height relative to the tube diameter, by crowding the wall axially thereof, and

(h) advancing the tube from said arbor into a severing station and there cutting the tube into predetermined lengths.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the said thin material is composed of regenerated cellulose having a smooth light reflecting surface.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the said thin strip is composed of a material having a substantially smooth unwrinkled light reflecting surface.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the said thin material is composed of transparent cellophane that has a smooth surface.

5. In apparatus for making drinking straws of thin heat-scalable material, the combination of:

(a) a supply roll of strip material,

(b) an elongated arbor,

(c) means adapted to draw said strip of material from the supply roll and spirally wind the strip about the arbor, forming a tube thereon,

((1) means for heating said strip,

(c) said heating means being angularly adjustable to axis of, said arbor and being adapted to deliver said strip to said arbor at various selected angles to establish the pitch of said spiral winding, whereby the number of layers of said material that form the tube body may be controlled,

(f) at least two spaced driven belts extending spirally about said arbor and being adapted to receive said material between the arbor and the belts, the first of said belts being adapted to rotate, twist and radially compress the spirally wound tube on said arbor while concurrently causing the tube to travel longitudinally thereof,

(g) the pitch of the spiral winds of the first belt about said tube being greater than the pitch of the subsequent belt whereby the tube body wall is crowded, shortened and gathered into wrinkles between the first and a said subsequent belt, and

(h) cutting means adapted to sever the tube into predetermined lengths.

6. Apparatus according to claim in which the spiral pitch of said first belt about the tube is approximately 45 and that of the subsequent belt is approximately 30.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 in which said arbor is supported at one end in means adapted to permit movement of the arbor whereby the force exerted by said belts on the material between the belts and the arbor is equalized.

8. Apparatus according to claim 5 in which said arbor is provided with a knurled-like surface whereby a substantial area of the arbor is separated by air [from the inside surface of a tube being formed thereon.

9. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the said severing means comprise:

(a) a rotatable shaft whose axis is disposed at substantially a right angle to the projected axis of said arbor,

(b) means mounted on one end portion of said shaft adapted to hold and rotate a knife into severing contact with said tube,

(c) a driven pulley mounted on the opposite end of said shaft from that on which the knife holding means is mounted, and being adapted to rotate the shaft on which it is mounted through the medium of an elastic connection,

(d) means for periodic stopping, for a predetermined interval, the rotation of the shaft, on which said pulley is mounted, during each revolution of said pulley, thereby stretching the elastic connection, and

(e) means for releasing said stopping means thereby renewing the rotation of the shaft under the influence of the tensioned elastic connection and the rotation of said pulley.

10. In combination with apparatus of the character described, tube severing means comprising:

(a) a rotatable shaft,

(b) means mounted on one end portion of the shaft adapted to hold and rotate a knife into severing relation with a tube to cut the tube into drinking straws,

(c) a driven pulley mounted on the opposite end portion of said shaft from said knife holding means, said pulley being adapted to rotate the shaft through the medium of an elastic member connecting the pulley and the shaft,

(d) means for periodic stopping the rotation of the shaft during predetermined intervals of travel of the pulley during each revolution of the pulley, thereby stretching said elastic connection,

(e) means for releasing said stopping means thereby renewing the interrupted rotation of the shaft, the renewal being under the influence of the stretched elastic and the rotation of the pulley whereby the rotation of the shaft during the period of the contraction of the elastic connection is at a higher velocity than during the period of its rotation prior to said stoppage.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the means adapted to stop the rotation of the shaft include a boltlike member projecting radially from the shaft and a pin extending axially from the pulley, said elastic member connecting the bolt-like member and the pin, a dog attached to the pulley and being adapted to engage and stop the bolt-like member from rotation during said engagement, whereby the continuing rotation of said pin with the pulley stretches the elastic member, a trip pin projecting from the pulley and being adapted to trip said dog at a predetermined period of travel of the pulley.

12. Apparatus according to claim 10 including means adapted to change the speed of rotation of said pulley.

13. Apparatus of the character described comprising; an elongated arbor mounted at one end portion thereof in a holder with the opposite end of the arbor free, said arbor being longitudinally adjustable relative to the holder, said holder being rotatably mounted relative to said apparatus of which it is a part.

14. In apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said arbor is in the form of a round rod tapered to a smaller diameter at its free end and having a substantial area of its surface knurled.

15. In apparatus for making drinking straws of thin heat-scalable material, the combination of (a) a supply roll of strip material,

(b) an elongated arbor,

(c) means adapted to draw said strip of material from the supply roll and spirally wind the strip about the arbor, forming a tube thereon,

(d) at least two spaced driven belts extending spirally about said arbor and being adapted to receive said material between the arbor and the belts, the first of said belts being adapted to rotate, twist and radially compress the spirally wound tube on said arbor while concurrently causing the tube to travel longitudinally thereof,

(e) the pitch of the spiral winds of the first belt about said tube being greater than the pitch of the subsequent belt whereby the tube body wall is crowded, shortened and gathered into wrinkles between the first and a said subsequent belt, and

(f) cutting means adapted to sever the tube into predetermined lengths.

No references cited.

BERNARD STICKNEY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF MAKING DRINKING STRAWS OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPOSED OF THIN HEAT-SEALABLE MATERIAL COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING A STRIP OF SAID MATERIAL TO AN ELONGATED ARBOR AND SPIRALLY LOOSELY WINDING THE STRIP THEREON, (B) HEATING THE STRIP PRIOR TO ITS CONTACT WITH THE ARBOR AND DELIVERING THE STRIP TO THE ARBOR WHILE AT HEATSEALING TEMPERATURE, (C) FORMING A CONTINUOUS PERMANENT WRINKLE IN SAID STRIP AT AN EDGE THEREOF JUST PRIOR TO THE STRIP''S CONTACT WITH THE ARBOR, (D) FEEDING THE STRIP ONTO AND ABOUT THE ARBOR AT SUCH ANGLE RELATIVE THERETO AS TO PROVIDE AN OVERLAP AT THE EDGES OF THE STRIP SUCH AS TO FORM A TUBE OF MULTI-LAYERS ON THE ARBOR, (E) SIMULTANEOUSLY ROTATING AND TWISTING THE TUBE AROUND ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS WHILE ADVANCING THE TUBE LENGTHWISE OF THE ARBOR, (F) WRINKLING THE TUBE BY SUBJECTING IT TO RADIALLY INWARD PRESSURE, (G) GATHERING THE WALL OF THE TUBE INTO WRINKLES OF SUBSTANTIAL HEIGHT RELATIVE TO THE TUBE DIAMETER, BY CROWDING THE WALL AXIALLY THEREOF, AND (H) ADVANCING THE TUBE FROM SAID ARBOR INTO A SEVERING STATION AND THERE CUTTING THE TUBE INTO PREDETERMINED LENGTHS. 